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Not too late for Nov. 3 ballot, but time very short
State election officials say they can still put a temporary tax increase on the Nov. 3 ballot if the Legislature acts today (Aug. 11), but time is running out and no one is quite sure when the last grain of sand will fall to the bottom of the hourglass.
Stimulus funds allocated for energy efficiency
Gov. Jan Brewer announced on Aug. 7 that $10 million in federal stimulus money will be allocated for energy efficiency projects at state-owned buildings.
Impact of Harper work force amendment murky
A budget amendment that would cut 5 percent of the state's work force has left some open-ended questions as to how many people would lose their jobs and how much money Arizona would save.
Auto Theft Authority jeopardized by cuts of $1M in 2010
If the latest budget proposal passes, the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority will have to operate without roughly two-thirds of its annual state funding. The Legislature reduces that agency's budget by $1 million in its fiscal 2010 budget plan.
Budget delay could stall referral for months
Gov. Jan Brewer is hoping to get her temporary tax increase on the ballot for November's election, but if lawmakers don't act soon, the vote may have to wait until January.
Free extension policy muddles APS rate case
Opponents of a policy that forces landowners, not APS, to foot the bill for extending power lines to their property have spent nearly a year drumming up support for their cause. Now, they will get a chance to plead their case to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
States make deep cuts to health
Although states are facing their worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, 14 found the dollars this year to increase health coverage for about 250,000 children. That's one of the few bright spots for health within state budgets in a year in which all but a handful of states faced shortfalls and were forced to shrink taxpayer-financed programs.
Two reasons Sen. Harper flipped on budget
Two recent developments persuaded a conservative Republican senator to switch his stance from opposition to support for a budget package that has stalled in his chamber for weeks. One was an e-mail from the Americans for Tax Reforms, a national anti-tax group that administers the No New Taxes Pledge.
A failure to rehabilitate
Arizona spent $121 million on drug- and alcohol-treatment programs in 2008, but a report by the Arizona Auditor General’s Office indicates the programs have failed to change the behavior of most substance-abusing patients. Nearly half of the patients who began substance-abuse treatment during the past three years dropped out before finishing the programs.
Deputy takes reins at DOA, replaces Bell
Gov. Jan Brewer has named David Raber as interim director of the Arizona Department of Administration. Raber, who has worked in state government since 1989, served as deputy director for... […]
10 new laws that got lost in the shuffle
The 2009 legislative session started out slowly in terms of bill advancement, but it ended in a flurry that left even some lawmakers wondering what all they had voted on. When the Legislature adjourned sine die on July 1, lawmakers had sponsored 1,133 bills during the 2009 regular session. A total of 213 made the cut and were passed by the Legislature. And 191 bills were signed into law.
Bookkeeper embezzled $1M from Tucson museum
The Attorney General’s Office announced a 65-year-old Tucson woman faces up to 12-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from her theft of almost $1 million from... […]
